Fast start inspires Sharp to 2nd career hat trick

Hawks winger completes 2nd 3-goal game of career after early score

November 25, 2011|By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Patrick Sharp nearly was done celebrating his third goal Friday when the first hat finally hit the Honda Center ice. Soon, about a dozen more found their way from the stands as the well-represented Blackhawks fans in attendance celebrated Sharp's feat.

The winger recorded his second career hat trick during the Hawks' 6-5 victory over the Ducks. Sharp opened the Hawks' scoring in the first with a power-play goal and scored goals 2 minutes, 1 second apart in the third to record his first three-goal game since Nov. 17, 2007 against the Red Wings in Detroit.

"It was just one of those games where it seemed like the puck was coming to me in scoring areas," Sharp said. "The puck was just going in. Sometimes when you get one early you get a good feeling the rest of the game."

The third-period goals were part of an offensive explosion during which the Hawks scored four times to overcome a 4-2 deficit.

"Credit our team for sticking with it," said Sharp, who has 10 goals this season.

Vacation ends:Brent Seabrook returned to the Hawks' lineup after missing four consecutive games with a left leg injury suffered when the defenseman crashed skates-first into the boards Nov. 13 against the Oilers.

"It was good to get back out on the nice, but it's nice just being in the room with the guys before the game having fun," said Seabrook, who was a plus-2 in 21:27 of ice time. "(It was great) getting back in the routine and feeling like I'm doing something, here and not just on a vacation for two weeks."

Offensive juggernaut:Niklas Hjalmarsson, who hasn't scored a goal in 23 games this season, found himself on the ice during a Hawks power play against the Ducks.

"I think they wanted to have two defensemen on the ice," said Hjalmarsson, who had a game-high five blocked shots. "I'm not counting on being on the power play anymore but we'll see. It was fun, though. It's not every day I'm out there."

One-timer: Healthy scratches for the Hawks were defensemen John Scott and Sami Lepisto and rookie forward Ben Smith.